Dry cleaning process employing a unitary chemical dispensing cabinet

ABSTRACT

A cabinet is provided containing multiple chemical containment housings mounted on a base portion mounted on an interior panel. Each base portion has a nozzle press fitting into an opening to a flexible bag containing a dry cleaning chemical, the flexible bag mounted within the containment housing. In addition, the base portion has an opening connected to one end of a conduit, with the second end of the conduit connected to a chemical dispensing tube. The dispensing tube is mounted on a front exterior panel of the cabinet, and is held in place by a line under tension connected at one end to the dispensing tube and at its other end to a tension reel mounted within the interior of the cabinet. Squeezing of the dispensing tube while aimed at a garment stain causes the stain removing chemical to flow onto the garment.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This invention relates to a process for dry cleaning fabrics.More particularly, it refers to the employment of a chemical dispensingcabinet with multiple dispensing tubes mounted on a front panel, eachdispensing tube emitting selected chemicals to spot clean stains ongarments in a dry cleaning process.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Dry cleaning of garments is a well known art in which,customarily, different dry cleaning solutions from separate tanks areemployed as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 774,025. Spot cleaning is known fromU.S. Pat. No. 3,320,780 where a plurality of pressure receptacles forspotting fluids are housed in a base section of a cabinet. A spray gunsprays spotting fluid onto stained portions of a fabric located on abase portion of the cabinet. Additional cleaning systems are set forthin U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,234,268; 5,259,557 and 5,435,157. In view of airpollution regulations for the dry cleaning industry a need exists for aspot cleaning system that minimizes air pollution. Furthermore, sincemany dry cleaning facilities are frequently small in size, an easilymountable spot cleaning system that minimizes space requirements whilestill reducing air pollution is urgently needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The process of this invention provides a system minimizing escapeof volatile organic dry cleaning solvents and provides a unitarychemical dispensing cabinet that includes the chemicals commonly used toremove different stains from garments. The process provides a cabinetwith a front panel having depressions for mounting multiple chemicaldispensing tubes. Each tube is connected by a conduit to a base portionof a chemical containment housing mounted on a panel within the cabinet.In addition, a connecting line attached to a tension spool mountedwithin the interior of the cabinet is connected to the tube to retain itin the cabinet front panel depression. Pulling the tube away from thecabinet and depressing a soft elastomeric middle portion of the tubecauses fluid to flow from a flexible bag in the containment housing to anarrow opening at the tip of the tube which is pointed at the garmentstain.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] The invention can be best understood by those having ordinaryskill in the art by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0005]FIG. 1 is a front prospective view of the chemical dispensingcabinet of this invention.

[0006]FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the chemical dispensingcabinet with one chemical dispensing tube displayed for use.

[0007]FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the dispensing tube along line 3-3of FIG. 2.

[0008]FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the dispensing tube along line 3-3of FIG. 2, but with the tube squeezed to permit outward flow of achemical agent.

[0009]FIG. 5 is a front view of the dispensing tube of FIG. 4.

[0010]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the chemical dispensing cabinetopened.

[0011]FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the opened chemicaldispensing cabinet with one chemical bag holder disengaged from its baseportion and one wire reel box cut away.

[0012]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the chemical bag containmenthousing opened.

[0013]FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing an open connection to thechemical bag to permit flow of chemicals.

[0014]FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the valve removed from its chemicalbag connection to cease flow of all chemicals.

[0015]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a table mount frame for thechemical dispensing cabinet.

[0016]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a floor mount frame for thechemical dispensing cabinet.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0017] Throughout the following detailed description the same referencenumerals refer to the same elements in all figures.

[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the chemical dispensing cabinet 10 inthis invention has multiple soft elastomeric dispensing tubes 12 withconduits 14 leading to the interior of the dispensing panel. Multipleholding indentations or depressions 16 on the front face 18 of thedispensing cabinet 10 retain the dispensing tubes 12 with the assistanceof a wire connection 20. The dispensing tubes 12 retained under tensionin slot 16 by the tension reel 57 in reel box 56. The chemicaldispensing panel 10 has a top side 22, a left side 24 and a right side26 with a bottom side 28. A back panel 30 is hinged 32 to the panelportions 18, 22, 24 and 28 integral with cabinet front frame 29.

[0019] The soft elastomeric dispensing tube 12 shown in cross section inFIGS. 3 and 4 has an elastomeric cylindrical housing 34 and a frontnipple holder 36 retaining a conical nipple 38. Housing 34 also overlaysa rear tube mount 40. The conduit 14 is placed over a conical portion 41of rear tube mount 40. A rear portion of spring 42 is retained withinthe rear tube mount 40 by opposed flanges 44 and 46. A front portion ofspring 42 presses against a ball valve 50 closing an opening 48 withinthe cylindrical housing 34. When the cylindrical housing 34 is depressedas shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the ball 50 moves away from channel 52 toallow the chemicals to flow into the conical nipple 38. On release ofthe cylindrical housing 34, the spring 42 acts to push the ball 50 backin place in front of channel 52 and prevents further flow of chemicals.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the interior 54 of the dispensingpanel 10 has a wire reel box 56 containing a wind-up tension reel 57.The wire 20 wound on reel 57 leads to and is attached to dispensing tube12 which is held under tension in depression 16. The back side 17 ofdepression 16 is seen in FIG. 6. Adjacent the wire reel boxes 56 is apanel 58 on which is mounted a base portion 60 for a containment housing62. Rails 82 and 84 on the bottom of the containment housing 62 slideinto slots 86 and 88, respectively on the base portion 60. Thecontainment housing 62 as shown in FIG. 9, retains a plastic bag 64containing the chemicals used for the dry cleaning process. A fixture 16with opening 67 at the bottom of each chemical bag 64 engages anupwardly extending nozzle 68 in the base portion 60. An outlet 70 at thebase of nozzle 68 is attached to the conduit 14 leading to thedispensing tube 12. Pushing down on lever 90 lifts containment housing62 off base portion 60 so that a new flexible chemical bag 64 can beinserted.

[0021] The chemicals contained in each bag 64 will be any one of thefollowing compositions: STAIN CHEMICAL COMPOSITION 1. Grease orcosmetics. 100% trichioroethylene 2. Paint, oil, grease, tar, 25% amylacetate lipstick, crayon wax, varnish 15% anionic surfactant and inks.60% chlorinated solvent 3. Cuff and collar soil, 25% anionic surfactantlatex paints and some inks. 25% nonionic surfactant 50% aliphaticsolvent 4. Tannin stains including 15% nonionic surfactant coffee, tea,beer, wine, 25% sodium N-methyloleyl grass, soft drinks, mustard taurateand fruit juice. 5% glycolic acid 5% polypropylene glycol 50% water 5.Protein stains such as 15% ammonia blood, albumen, egg, milk and 10%nonionic surfactant ice cream. 75% water 6. Oily stains from silk and20% nonionic surfactant rayon. 80% aliphatic solvent 7. Paint, oil,grease, tar, 25% anionic surfactant lipstick, rayon, wax and 75%dLimonene solvent varnishes. 8. Rust. 10% hydrogen fluoride 30% ammoniumbifluoride 60% water

[0022] Additional chemicals well known in the prior art also can be usedin the flexible chemical bags 64 to remove stains from garments.

[0023]FIGS. 9 and 10 show the position of the fixture 66, its opening67, valve 68, and the outlet 70 from the base portion 60 when chemicalsare flowing, as shown in FIG. 9, and when the fixture 66 is closed inFIG. 10.

[0024]FIG. 11 shows the chemical dispensing panel 10 mounted on a tablemount 72, and FIG. 12 shows the chemical dispensing panel 10 attached toa floor mount 74.

[0025] The chemical dispensing panel 10 can be made of a high strengthplastic or lightweight metal and can have decorative portions 76, 78,and 80. The decorative portions can contain indicia. The containmenthousing 62 and the chemical containing bags 64 are made of a plastic asis the base portion 60.

[0026] Other equivalent elements can be substituted for the elements ofthe chemical dispensing cabinet which have been described in order toobtain substantially the same results in substantially the same way andwith substantially the same function.

Having described the invention, what is claimed for Letters Patent is:1. A method for spot cleaning a stain on a garment in a dry cleaningprocess comprising: (a) providing a stand alone cabinet having a frontpanel with multiple indentations, each indentation adapted to receive achemical dispensing tube, each dispensing tube connected by a connectingline to a wind up tension reel located in an interior portion of thecabinet; (b) providing multiple containment housings mounted within theinterior of the cabinet, each containment housing enclosing a flexiblebag containing a dry cleaning chemical; (c) providing a base portion forthe containment housing, the base portion having means for attaching thecontainment housing to the base portion and means for connecting anozzle in the base portion to the flexible bag; (d) providing a conduitconnecting the base portion of the containment housing to the dispensingtube; and (e) pulling a dispensing tube out of the indentation andthereafter squeezing the dispensing tube to permit the flow of the drycleaning chemical out of the dispensing tube while pointing a front endof the dispensing tube over a stain in a garment.
 2. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein there are provided six indentations on thefront panel of the cabinet and each indentation is provided with achemical dispensing tube, and six containment housings are providedwithin the cabinet, each containment housing enclosing a flexible bag,each flexible bag containing a dry cleaning chemical different from thatcontained in any other flexible bag within the cabinet.
 3. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the chemical dispensing tube is providedwith a conical shaped front portion having a decreasing diameter from arear to a front end and a middle portion of the dispensing tube isprovided as a soft elastomeric cylindrical member, and pressing thecylindrical member inwardly to create a flow of the dry cleaningchemical.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the means forattaching the containment housing to the base portion is a pair ofparallel rails on a bottom of the containment housing overlyingcorresponding parallel longitudinal slots in the base portion.
 5. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the means for connecting a nozzleto the flexible bag is by press fitting the nozzle projecting upwardlyfrom the base portion to an opening into a bottom fixture of theflexible bag.
 6. A method for spot cleaning a stain on a garment in adry cleaning process comprising: (a) pulling a squeezable dispensingtube from a stand alone cabinet, the dispensing tube having been held ina depression on a front face of the cabinet by a tension line connectingthe dispensing tube to a tension reel inside the cabinet, (b) squeezingthe dispensing tube over the stain on the garment to permit a chemicalsuitable for removing the stain to flow from a conical tube at one endof the dispensing tube onto the stain, and (c) providing a conduit froma base portion of a containment housing to the dispensing tube, thecontainment housing being provided within the cabinet and containing aflexible bag containing the chemical suitable for removing the stain onthe garment, a valve on the base portion of the containment housingengaging an opening from the flexible bag to permit flow of the chemicalsuitable for removing the stain from the flexible bag to the conicaltube at the end of the dispensing tube.
 7. The method according to claim6, wherein six dispensing tubes are provided, each connected by aconduit to a base portion of a corresponding containment housing, eachcontainment housing enclosing a flexible chemical bag containing adifferent chemical so that each of the six dispensing tubes is capableof dispensing a different spot removing chemical.
 8. A chemicaldispensing cabinet for use in a dry cleaning process for removal ofstains on garments, the cabinet comprising: (a) a cabinet having a top,bottom, two opposed side walls, and a front wall integral with a frontframe of the cabinet, the front frame hinged at a base portion to a backframe of the cabinet, (b) multiple depressions on the front wall forreceiving chemical dispensing tubes, each chemical dispensing tube beingretained in a depression under tension from a tension cord, the cordconnected to the chemical dispensing tube at one end and to a tensionreel mounted within the cabined at a second end, (c) multiple conduits,each connecting at a first end to a base portion of a containmenthousing, the base portion mounted on a shelf within the cabinet, asecond end of each conduit connected to a rear conical end of thedispensing tube, (d) a flexible bag containing a stain removingchemical, the bag housing a bottom fixture with an opening connectableto a nozzle on the base portion of the containment housing, the flexiblechemical bag enclosed by the containment housing, and (e) the dispensingtubes adapted to be depressed to permit the stain removing chemical toflow out of the dispensing tube onto a stain on a garment.
 9. Thechemical dispensing cabinet according to claim 8, wherein there are sixdepressions on the front wall of the cabinet, each depression retaininga dispensing tube under tension.
 10. The chemical dispensing cabinetaccording to claim 8, wherein each chemical dispensing tube has acompressible cylindrical housing overlaying a nipple holder at a frontend and a tube mount at a rear end, the tube mount having a conical rearportion for engagement with the conduit and the nipple holder having aconical front portion retaining a conical nipple along an interior wall,and a ball valve within an interior of the cylindrical housing retainedin place by a spring to block the flow of a chemical within thecylindrical housing, but permitting the flow of the chemical when anouter wall of the cylindrical housing is depressed.
 11. The chemicaldispensing cabinet according to claim 8, wherein each base portion of acontainment housing has an upwardly projecting nozzle adapted to fitinto the opening in the bag containing a stain removing chemical, and achannel opening at substantially a right angle to the nozzle, thechannel opening connected to the first end of the conduit.
 12. Thechemical dispensing cabinet according to claim 8, wherein a pair ofparallel rails on a bottom end of the containment housing engages a pairof parallel slots on the base portion to connect the containment housingto the base portion.
 13. The chemical dispensing cabinet according toclaim 12, wherein a lever on the base portion is integral with theparallel slots and is adapted to disengage the containment housing fromthe base portion.
 14. The chemical dispensing cabinet according to claim12, wherein the containment housing comprises two halves pivoting on avertical edge to allow insertion of a chemical bag.
 15. The chemicaldispensing cabinet according to claim 9, wherein there are six chemicalbags, each within a containment housing and each chemical bag contains adifferent stain removing chemical.